2025 NFL mock draft: Giants, Raiders thankful for new QBs in Thanksgiving projection

Thanksgiving is all about football, family and food; sometimes in that order dependent upon your family. As you are reading this, perhaps from a family member's living room waiting for the turkey to finish, I hope this mock draft gives you something to discuss with that aunt or uncle you see only at holiday gatherings or a parent that sends an angry out of context text about a mutually shared favorite NFL team each week. Some of you will love the projections below and some will hate them, but I am thankful for each of you reading and giving me an opportunity to flesh out my own NFL thoughts. 

First, let's discuss the ideal Thanksgiving Day meal. If forced to pick one protein, two side dishes, a form of a bread and a dessert, my choices would be as follows: ham with hash brown casserole, broccoli salad and cornbread, as well as pecan pie for dessert. I am an equal opportunity eater. If there is mac and cheese, Brussels sprouts, deviled eggs, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc...I am prepared to indulge. If you go with mashed potatoes, Hasselbeck potatoes, scalloped potatoes or whatever your own starchy vice, then that is fine, too. What I will not stand for is cranberry sauce out of a can or a cold pumpkin pie. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. 

Without further ado, let's kick this off!

The draft order below was determined using the current 2025 NFL Draft order. To check out the online sports betting odds on who will be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, head on over to DraftKings.

For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on "With the First Pick" -- our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find "With the First Pick" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc.

NFL Mock Draft

Round 1

Round 1 - Pick 1 Travis Hunter ATH Colorado • Jr • 6'1" / 185 lbs Projected Team Jacksonville PROSPECT RNK 1st POSITION RNK 1st REC 82 REYDS 1036 YDS/REC 12.6 TDS 12 Jacksonville would certainly be willing to listen to trade offers if there were a quarterback worthy of that consideration. There are no trade projections in this mock draft, so it stands pat and takes the most versatile player in college football.

Round 1 - Pick 2 Shedeur Sanders QB Colorado • Sr • 6'2" / 215 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Giants PROSPECT RNK 9th POSITION RNK 2nd PAYDS 3488 RUYDS 15 INTS 7 TDS 34 New York waived Daniel Jones, so that era has already come to an unceremonious end. Shedeur Sanders would probably be happy to land in a big market like the Big Apple, and he has been the most consistent quarterback this year.

Round 1 - Pick 3 Cam Ward QB Miami (FL) • Sr • 6'2" / 223 lbs Projected Team Las Vegas PROSPECT RNK 6th POSITION RNK 1st PAYDS 3774 RUYDS 177 INTS 7 TDS 38 Las Vegas changes its starting quarterback on a near weekly basis. The Raiders aim to find some consistency in the 2025 NFL Draft with the selection of Cam Ward, who is a volatile quarterback who has willed his team to victory on a few occasions this season.

Round 1 - Pick 4 Tetairoa McMillan WR Arizona • Jr • 6'5" / 212 lbs Projected Team New England PROSPECT RNK 4th POSITION RNK 1st REC 78 REYDS 1251 YDS/REC 16 TDS 7 Drake Maye is the future at quarterback in New England. His supporting cast is not good enough. The biggest issue is the offensive line, but Tetairoa McMillan is better than the offensive line options available at this stage.

Round 1 - Pick 5 Will Johnson CB Michigan • Jr • 6'2" / 202 lbs Projected Team Carolina PROSPECT RNK 2nd POSITION RNK 1st Bryce Young has regained his confidence in recent weeks and is playing at a higher level. Carolina needs to funnel some of its assets back to the defensive side of the ball. The Panthers need pass rushers and secondary players. Will Johnson has the potential to be the best player out of this draft.

Round 1 - Pick 6 Abdul Carter EDGE Penn State • Jr • 6'3" / 252 lbs Projected Team Tennessee PROSPECT RNK 19th POSITION RNK 4th Tennessee has the seventh-worst pressure rate in the NFL, according to TruMedia. It needs a pass rusher who can step in and make a difference within the structure of that defense. Abdul Carter is a versatile talent that, at the very least, knows how to move the quarterback off his spot.

Round 1 - Pick 7 Mason Graham DL Michigan • Jr • 6'3" / 320 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 3rd POSITION RNK 1st New York is one of the teams that has already made the decision to move on from its head coach, so change is afoot. New leadership will have its own vision for how it wants to play and the personnel necessary to make that work. There is no question Mason Graham and Quinnen Williams would be a fun duo, however.

Round 1 - Pick 8 Will Campbell OT LSU • Jr • 6'6" / 323 lbs Projected Team Cleveland PROSPECT RNK 5th POSITION RNK 1st Neither Jedrick Wills nor Dawand Jones seem to be the answer at left tackle in Cleveland. The Browns will need to identify and acquire a replacement. There is no better position in which to do that than in the draft if they are out of range to draft a perceived top quarterback prospect.

Round 1 - Pick 9 Nic Scourton EDGE Texas A&M • Jr • 6'4" / 285 lbs Projected Team New Orleans PROSPECT RNK 16th POSITION RNK 3rd New Orleans has always had a fascination with powerful pass rushers, and those are the pass rushers finding success in the NFL right now. Chase Young is a free agent, and the next head coach will want a young pass rusher to build his defense upon.

Round 1 - Pick 10 Mykel Williams EDGE Georgia • Jr • 6'5" / 265 lbs Projected Team Cincinnati PROSPECT RNK 7th POSITION RNK 1st This projection is largely dependent upon what happens with Trey Hendrickson, who requested a trade earlier this year. If he returns, along with Sam Hubbard and Myles Murphy, then perhaps the Bengals use this draft capital to address cornerback or another position of need.

Round 1 - Pick 11 Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State • Jr • 5'9" / 215 lbs Projected Team Dallas PROSPECT RNK 14th POSITION RNK 1st RUYDS 2062 YDS/ATT 7.5 REYDS 102 TDS 28 Ashton Jeanty eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards this past week. Dallas needs an upgrade at the position, and Jeanty is a net positive in both the run game and the pass game. It also would not be a surprise to see the Cowboys consider a wide receiver like Luther Burden III.

Round 1 - Pick 12 Kenneth Grant DL Michigan • Jr • 6'3" / 339 lbs Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 29th POSITION RNK 4th An offensive coordinator change has breathed life into the Chicago offense. If it can end the season on a positive note, then perhaps the front office will feel more confident in allocating assets to the defense. The Bears have a few, young attacking interior defenders, but would benefit from a staunch defensive tackle to elevate the floor of the run defense.

Round 1 - Pick 13 Benjamin Morrison CB Notre Dame • Jr • 6'0" / 190 lbs Projected Team Indianapolis PROSPECT RNK 15th POSITION RNK 2nd Benjamin Morrison is recovering from a pretty significant injury, but a lack of first-round caliber players may allow Morrison's draft stock to remain steady. Indianapolis needs a big-time cornerback and is willing to wait in this instance.

Round 1 - Pick 14 Tyler Booker IOL Alabama • Jr • 6'5" / 325 lbs Projected Team Miami PROSPECT RNK 32nd POSITION RNK 1st After losing Robert Hunt in free agency last offseason, Miami elects to address the interior offensive line. Center Aaron Brewer has played well and now the interior becomes even more stingy.

Round 1 - Pick 15 Luther Burden III WR Missouri • Jr • 5'11" / 205 lbs Projected Team Tampa Bay PROSPECT RNK 11th POSITION RNK 2nd REC 60 REYDS 665 YDS/REC 11.1 TDS 8 When Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen was at Kentucky, he used Wan'Dale Robinson as a multi-purpose tool. Luther Burden III would give them a player capable of getting the ball in space and taking it the distance in the event that Chris Godwin leaves in free agency.

Round 1 - Pick 16 Kelvin Banks Jr. OT Texas • Jr • 6'4" / 320 lbs Projected Team L.A. Rams PROSPECT RNK 10th POSITION RNK 2nd Los Angeles invests in the future of its offensive line with the selection of Kelvin Banks Jr. The Rams have done a great job accumulating talent on defense and need to focus more of their energy on the offense, as odd as that may sound.

Round 1 - Pick 17 Cameron Williams OT Texas • Jr • 6'5" / 335 lbs Projected Team San Francisco PROSPECT RNK 56th POSITION RNK 7th Trent Williams has slipped a bit this year, and his health and availability have come into question. Dominick Puni has been a good find, but the 49ers need more on that offensive line. Cameron Williams replaces Mike McGlinchey at right tackle.

Round 1 - Pick 18 Deone Walker DL Kentucky • Jr • 6'6" / 345 lbs Projected Team Arizona PROSPECT RNK 8th POSITION RNK 2nd Arizona has invested in the supporting cast of Kyler Murray, but the defense needs more difference-makers beyond safety Budda Baker. Deone Walker is not a finished product, but he is a massive interior defender with the potential to collapse the pocket.

Round 1 - Pick 19 James Pearce Jr. EDGE Tennessee • Jr • 6'5" / 243 lbs Projected Team Atlanta PROSPECT RNK 13th POSITION RNK 2nd James Pearce Jr. is more flash than power right now. He has good flexibility at the high side of his rush and good first-step quickness. Atlanta has the second-lowest applied pressure rate this season (26.6%), according to TruMedia. It has been a problem for years, and Pearce could be part of the solution.

Round 1 - Pick 20 Malaki Starks S Georgia • Jr • 6'1" / 205 lbs Projected Team Seattle PROSPECT RNK 12th POSITION RNK 1st I have been hammering this point for a month, but Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is building his version of the Baltimore defense in the Pacific Northwest. Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight are his version of Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen. Malaki Starks could be his Kyle Hamilton in the sense he would bring a level of accountability to the secondary.

Round 1 - Pick 21 Jonah Savaiinaea OT Arizona • Jr • 6'5" / 336 lbs Projected Team Washington PROSPECT RNK 23rd POSITION RNK 3rd Jonah Savaiinaea has played right tackle for Arizona but may project as an interior offensive lineman. As time has passed, it has become clear that Washington still needs to upgrade the protection of Jayden Daniels. Savaiinaea is an immediate upgrade.

Round 1 - Pick 22 Emeka Egbuka WR Ohio State • Sr • 6'1" / 205 lbs Projected Team Houston PROSPECT RNK 20th POSITION RNK 3rd REC 56 REYDS 692 YDS/REC 12.4 TDS 9 Stefon Diggs is a free agent at season's end. Rather than throw a significant amount of money at the position or move to acquire another veteran, Houston selects a player familiar with franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud. Nico Collins and Tank Dell will have had another year to come into their own, so the Texans no longer need Diggs to be that player.

Round 1 - Pick 23 Colston Loveland TE Michigan • Jr • 6'5" / 245 lbs Projected Team Denver PROSPECT RNK 21st POSITION RNK 1st REC 56 REYDS 582 YDS/REC 10.4 TDS 5 Denver recently waived Greg Dulcich and has gotten little support from the tight end position. Colston Loveland gives the Broncos more reliability in the run and pass games.

Round 1 - Pick 24 JT Tuimoloau EDGE Ohio State • Sr • 6'5" / 269 lbs Projected Team L.A. Chargers PROSPECT RNK 38th POSITION RNK 9th Bud Dupree is playing significant reps for this team and Khalil Mack is in the final year of his contract. Joey Bosa and Tuli Tuipulotu are the present, but the rotation continues with the powerful J.T. Tuimoloau in the fold.

Round 1 - Pick 25 Josh Simmons OL Ohio State • Sr • 6'5" / 310 lbs Projected Team Baltimore PROSPECT RNK 30th POSITION RNK 1st Ronnie Stanley, who is in the final year of his contract, has missed significant time due to injuries in recent years. Josh Simmons is not the best candidate to replace him considering he is coming off an injury of his own, but his early-season play was consistent with that of a potential first-round pick.

Round 1 - Pick 26 Daylen Everette DB Georgia • Jr • 6'1" / 190 lbs Projected Team Pittsburgh PROSPECT RNK POSITION RNK Pittsburgh has its secondary locked in long-term with Joey Porter Jr., Beanie Bishop Jr. and Daylen Everette as the three starting cornerbacks. Minkah Fitzpatrick on the back end allows the Steelers to capitalize on a havoc-wreaking defensive front.

Round 1 - Pick 27 Walter Nolen DL Ole Miss • Jr • 6'3" / 305 lbs Projected Team Green Bay PROSPECT RNK 39th POSITION RNK 6th Green Bay continues its defensive investment with the selection of Walter Nolen, who is a rising interior defender. The Packers could continue making over the offensive line or investigate available cornerbacks as well.

Round 1 - Pick 28 Tyleik Williams DL Ohio State • Sr • 6'3" / 327 lbs Projected Team Minnesota PROSPECT RNK 25th POSITION RNK 3rd Minnesota's defensive personnel has exceeded expectations this season, but that is not a sustainable approach. The Vikings need to address the secondary, in addition to defensive tackle this offseason.

Round 1 - Pick 29 Donovan Jackson IOL Ohio State • Sr • 6'4" / 320 lbs Projected Team Philadelphia PROSPECT RNK 57th POSITION RNK 2nd Donovan Jackson is a versatile prospect who has played guard, but transitioned to left tackle when Josh Simmons suffered an injury. Philadelphia has always valued versatility amongst its offensive lineman, and the interior play has not been up to par in 2024.

Round 1 - Pick 30 LT Overton DL Alabama • Jr • 6'5" / 283 lbs Projected Team Buffalo PROSPECT RNK 52nd POSITION RNK 8th Buffalo has had an affinity for powerful, raw pass rushers during the Sean McDermott-Brandon Beane era. L.T. Overton is still coming into his own but gives the Bills depth alongside A.J. Epenesa and Gregory Rousseau.

Round 1 - Pick 31 Denzel Burke CB Ohio State • Sr • 6'1" / 193 lbs Projected Team Kansas City PROSPECT RNK 22nd POSITION RNK 3rd In the spirit of the holidays, Kansas City begs the question, 'What do you get the kid that has everything?' Sure, the Chiefs have positions of weakness, but it hardly seems to matter for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Cornerback is a spot that was not adequately addressed once L'Jarius Sneed was traded last offseason.

Round 1 - Pick 32 Jalon Walker EDGE Georgia • Jr • 6'2" / 245 lbs Projected Team Detroit PROSPECT RNK 31st POSITION RNK 6th Detroit will be able to bring pressure from all angles next season with Za'Darius Smith and Aidan Hutchinson on the edge, and linebackers Jalon Walker and Jack Campbell capable of spot rushing.

The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.